Summary
This paper develops a socio-cyber-physical system framework to understand the multifaceted impacts of digital technologies on agriculture and rural areas. Rather than assuming digital transformation is inherently beneficial, the authors use a responsible research and innovation lens to map relationships between social, technological and physical dimensions, illustrated through dairy farming. The framework supports enhanced understanding of who bears moral responsibility and accountability for both positive and negative outcomes of digitalisation.
Regional applicability
The framework is applicable to UK agricultural policy and practice, particularly relevant to ongoing digital farm adoption and government initiatives promoting precision agriculture and rural broadband. UK dairy farming digitalisation could benefit from this structured approach to anticipating and governing multi-dimensional impacts.
Key measures
Qualitative assessment of relations between social, cyber and physical system components; identification of moral responsibilities and accountability structures in digital agricultural transformation
Outcomes reported
The study developed a socio-cyber-physical system framework to analyse digital transformation impacts across economic, environmental, social, technological and institutional dimensions. It illustrated the framework through digital dairy farming and identified conditions for successful digital transformation: design of and access to digital technologies, and navigation of system complexity.
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